Drawn To The Rhythm
by Star Dazzled
Summary: An adult Ellie returns to Canada after working in the States, and runs into Spinner. Something surprisingly blossoms between them. [Somewhat AU.] [Oneshot.]


**Author's Note**: This story takes place after the series -- meaning the characters are adults. I don't specify how much older they are in this story, I'm leaving that to your imagination. :) Please let me know what you think.  
**Disclaimer**: I'm just a silly fangirl sitting in front of my computer.

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**Drawn To The Rhythm**  
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**-**

When she entered The Dot on that dreary Sunday night, she had no expectations of running into an old friend or two. she was just glad to finally be somewhere that felt familiar -- she'd been gone way too long. Working in the States for close to six years had worn her out; she felt like she'd aged a hundred years or so.

Unzipping her jacket, she walked across the brightly lit restaurant, which was surprisingly empty for eight in the evening. She sat down at the counter, placing her palms flat on the cool surface, and turning slightly in the stool. Her dark gaze did a brief sweep of the few people sitting around, but seeing nobody she recognized, she turned back to grab the menu closest to her. She was unsure of whether or not it was good that she didn't see any of her friends -- on one hand, she would be embarrassed by how bad she looked, messy hair and no make-up on a face that could use some. But on the other hand, she was lonely, and she had been for a long time.

She gazed idly at the words on the menu, barely registering what they meant, and she didn't notice when one of the waiters stopped in front of her.

"Good evening, welcome to The Dot." He said almost robotically. "Start you off with a drink?"

Ellie's brow furrowed -- she recognized that voice. She lifted her head, eyes widening when she found that there _was_ someone she knew here. He stood before her, looking down at the notepad he held, a bored expression on his face. At her long silence, he glanced up, and almost immediately mirrored her expression.

"Ellie?" He asked, surprised.

"Spinner?" Was her response.

He grinned a sheepish grin that made him look vaguely like the teenager he'd been, and he shrugged a broad shoulder. "I'm kinda growing out of that name." He said.

She smiled. "You'll never grow out of that name." She said.

He shrugged again, still grinning, and he studied her. "Wow." He said. "Feels like it's been forever."

It _had_ been forever -- the faint frown lines that were already starting to appear on both of them made it obvious enough, and it looked like Spinner's hairline was receding slightly. He kept it styled like he used to though, a mix of spiking it up and putting it into a faux hawk. It made him look younger.

"Yeah." She agreed, though she fell silent, unable to think of anything else to say.

"So where'd you go?" He asked after a moment. "You were gone for what, five years?"

"Almost six." Ellie answered. "I was in the U.S. -- working on a magazine. Should've never left though."

"The States that bad?" He asked, quirking a brow.

She smiled again. "No, it's just...I missed this place." She answered slowly. "I missed the people here. And I was just so uncomfortable there."

"Were you alone?" Spinner asked.

She nodded, pausing to think that Craig had promised to go with her, but then had disappeared. She remembered Joey's solemn face as he'd told her that Craig was gone. She hadn't heard from him since.

"All by my lonesome." She said, forcing a bit of cheerfulness into her tone. "Always thought it'd be cool to be independent."

Spinner gave a little chuckle -- it wasn't the immature laugh he'd had in his teen years, but a throaty sound. He nodded slightly. "Tell me about it." He said. And as if suddenly remembering where they were, he glanced down at his notepad. "Oh yeah -- what do you want to drink?"

"Just some water." She answered with a smile.

He gave her a little smirk, before disappearing to get her glass of water. She sighed again, feeling a little better than she had before she'd come in, and she reached for her purse in the seat beside her. She was just pulling out a few aspirin when he returned.

"Poppin' pills, now?" He joked, setting the glass in front of her.

She grinned. "Should be."

She popped the tablets in her mouth, swallowing them with ease. That's what happens when you've been taking aspirin practically every day for a few years -- the headaches sometimes just got so bad that she depended on those pills. She refused to think she was suffering from migranes, because she didn't want any more problems in her life. She didn't need any more problems in her life.

He watched her swallow the aspirin. "You hungry?" He asked her.

She glanced at the menu, pausing thoughtfully, before she shook her head. "Not particularly." She answered. "I really only came here for a sense of...home, I guess."

He nodded as if he understood and put the small notepad away in an apron pocket. He then crossed his arms over his chest, muscles flexing, and Ellie allowed herself a quick observation of his body. His shoulders and chest had widened slightly, as if he worked out a lot, and his neck had grown a little thicker with muscle. He seemed taller than she remembered, but that was probably because she hadn't seen him in a while.

"So..." She started, not knowing what to say, but knowing she wanted to keep talking to him. "The Dot, huh?"

He nodded, grimacing slightly. "Yeah." He said. "Being a rockstar was harder than it looked -- had to settle for the ol' waiting tables biz again."

She smiled. "Nothing wrong with that." She answered. "I mean, if you _were_ a rockstar, I wouldn't have gotten to see you tonight."

Spinner returned her smile. "You're right." He said. "Guess it was meant to be."

A silence settled over them as they smiled at each other -- a silence that may've been uncomfortable to some, but it was welcomed by them. For once in her life, Ellie felt like she and Spinner got each other -- it was nice.

"So where are you staying?" He asked. "Or are you just visiting?"

"I got an apartment, actually." She answered. "A very small, but very cozy apartment -- and call me crazy, but I wanted one that was near the school."

The apartment complex on the same block as Degrassi Community School wouldn't have been her first choice -- it was slightly shabby, full of shady people, everything your parents warn you about. But she'd felt an unexplainable desire to be close to the school, she was drawn to it for some reason.

Spinner smirked. "You're not crazy." He said. "Some of the best things happened at that school." His gaze lowered, smile faltering. "And the worst."

Ellie knew he was talking about the shooting, and she felt a pang in her heart. As close as she and Jimmy had been earlier in life, she'd never once blamed Spinner for what'd happened. An insane amount of guilt swept over her -- she couldn't even imagine having to live with the idea that you'd gotten a kid shot, and another paralyzed. If she were Spinner, she probably wouldn't have made it this far in life.

"I think it's just that I miss being young." She said, attempting to change the subject. "I can remember thinking I had it hard back then -- I never realized how much harder it would get."

Spinner nodded again. "Believe me, I know what you mean." He said.

Another silence washed over them, and he glanced at his watch, before reaching around to untie his apron. She took a sip of her water, watching as he pulled it off.

"Well," he said, "My shift's finally over -- wanna go grab a drink or something?"

Ellie hesitated, but then smiled widely. "Sure. A drink would be great right now."

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They were sitting side-by-side at the bar, their shoulders practically touching, and glasses in their hands. Spinner was on his third drink, almost his fourth, and Ellie was still on her first. Despite how much he'd imbibed, Spinner was strangely attached to his sobriety, and wasn't slurring or swaying at all. Laughing at something he'd just said, he drained the rest of what was in the glass, and Ellie watched, smiling faintly.

"You can really pack it away, can't you?" She asked.

He shrugged, grinning. "I've had lots of time to build a tolerance to it." He said, signaling for the bartender. "It takes me about five to get a buzz going."

"Wow." She said, taking another drink of hers. "I'm buzzing already."

He laughed at her, but they quieted as a big-breasted barmaid refilled Spinner's cup. The busty blonde was trying with all her might to get Spinner to notice her as more than a waitress, but he seemed not to even notice her. Having had enough of being ignored, the barmaid stalked away to flirt with another customer, Ellie's brown eyes following her.

"I thought blondes were your type." She couldn't help but say, as Spinner ran his fingers through his hair.

"What?" He asked, before following her gaze. "Oh. Yeah -- I don't know. I guess things change -- only a fair few girls appeal to me nowadays." He grinned cheekily. "It wasn't easy being a pimp, had to get over it someday."

Ellie laughed and shook her head. "How come me and you didn't talk more often?" She asked him. "I like hanging out with you."

He didn't answer right away, smiling to himself. "I don't know." He said with a shrug. "Maybe 'cause I was a major dork in school -- I was such a dumbass sometimes."

Ellie shrugged. "We all have that stage in our lives, I think."

"Yeah." He agreed softly, looking at her.

They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment or two, before he looked away. And suddenly, the silence was uncomfortable. He glanced at his watch.

"It's getting late." He said.

"Yeah." Ellie said. She nodded. "Yeah -- I have to get up and look for a job tomorrow."

"I'd say you could wait tables with me," Spinner said, "But you're too good for a job like that."

Ellie flushed just slightly at the compliment, and he didn't even notice that he'd said it. The two didn't speak again -- with the exception of him insisting he pay for her drinks, and her arguing; he eventually won -- until they were outside, standing by their cars, which were parked side-by-side. He was standing at the driver's side door, hands on his hips, and she was hugging herself, a few feet away.

"So..." He said, obviously unsure of where to go from there.

She nodded. "I guess I'll see you later." She said. "Now that I'm back, I'll need someone to get me back in the loop."

He grinned, nodding himself. "Yeah, of course." He said. He opened his car door. "Just come on into The Dot whenever you're in the mood -- I'll be there."

She nodded, and he started to climb into his car.

"Uh, Spin?" She asked.

He immediately straightened, glancing at her curiously. She licked her lips, lowering her gaze, and she shifted her weight.

"Do you...do you wanna come over?" She asked.

Spinner gave a small smile, cocking his head some. "Really?" He asked.

He hid it well, but Ellie could tell there was a little excitement in him, and this made her smile through her blushing. "Yeah." She said. "There's boxes everywhere, and I hope you aren't allergic to cats."

He gave a little laugh. "Nope, not allergic."

Five minutes later, Ellie was glancing in her rear-view mirror to make sure that Spinner had turned down the right road. Her stomach was suddenly clenched into a knot -- it'd been a while since she'd invited a guy back to her place. Hell, it'd been a while since a guy had paid attention to her actually. Excitement and anticipation weren't strong enough words to convey what she was feeling.

She smiled, realizing something. She felt the way she'd felt in school, whenever a boy asked for her number or something.

It was nice to feel that way again.

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"Home sweet home." Ellie said, as she pushed open the door to her apartment.

Spinner glanced around casually as they both entered, and she self-consciously wrung her hands in front of her. She pointed to a fat gray cat that was laying on a pile of newspapers on the dining room table.

"That's Ramone." She said, pulling off her jacket as she neared the table.

"After Joey or Johnny?" Spinner asked, as he shut the door.

She threw a grin over her shoulder. "Dee Dee, actually. I've always been a fan of bassists." She reached over to run her hand over the cat's fur, and then turned back to Spinner. He was standing in the foyer still, looking around. "Want some coffee?"

He glanced at her, smirking. "You sound nervous, Ms. Ellie." He said.

She rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. "Coffee or not?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets, still grinning. "Sure." He answered. "I like it black."

Ellie smirked, before she disappeared into the kitchen. She liked hers black too -- in fact, it seemed that she and Spinner had a lot in common these days, a lot more than just coffee.

She leaned against the counter as the coffee started to brew, and a second later Spinner appeared in the doorway, unzipping his jacket. She glanced over at him, but he was looking around, taking in his surroundings. He draped his jacket over one of the dining room chairs, then reached out to pet Ramone. The cat nuzzled into his hand -- Ellie often referred to it as an attention whore.

"You're right," Spinner said randomly, "This is a very cozy place."

Ellie nodded with a small hint of pride, and pulled out two mugs for the coffee. "I don't have cable yet," she said, "But you can go make yourself at home on the couch or something."

He nodded, and with a smile, he disappeared out of sight, going into the living room. Ellie waited for the coffee to finish, and quickly filled the two cups. As she took them out into the living room, she found that Spinner wasn't sitting down, but instead was standing in front of a canvas that was on the floor, leaning against the wall.

"Did you do this?" He asked, as she handed him a mug.

She glanced down at the painting -- she'd done it a year or so before, and had loved it for some reason. It wasn't one of her usual pieces -- it had bright colors and smooth strokes.

"Yep." She said with a nod. "I think it's one of the only times I cracked open my yellow paint."

He grinned. "It's great." He said -- and surprisingly, his words sounded genuine.

"Wow, Spinner Mason, commenting on art." Ellie said jokingly. "I never would've imagined that."

He laughed. "Yeah," he agreed, "But I'm serious. I remember when Paige dragged me to some art museum --" at Ellie's incredulous look, he quickly added, "-- Ashley wanted to go. But anyway, I remember all the stuff there was just...so bad. _Your_ stuff should be hanging on walls for everyone to see."

Ellie flushed, smiling again. "Wow...thank you." She said. "I used to think my mom only said that because she was my mom."

Spinner grinned at her, but said no more, turning and walking towards her couch. It was old, and she'd gotten it at a yard sale, but it was black leather, and comfortable. That's all that mattered in her eyes.

They sat down together, Spinner moving the coffee table a few inches forward so his knees wouldn't bump into it. In front of them was a small television, and behind that was a sliding glass door -- it led out onto a small balcony. One thing she _loved_ about her apartment was the view -- if she stepped out onto the balcony, she could see the front of Degrassi Community School. It gave her a sense of comfort for some odd reason.

Spinner suddenly leaned forward, setting his mug on the coffee table, and he turned to her, putting one of his arms across the back of the couch. Ellie sipped at her hot drink, before she followed suit -- setting it on the table, and settling back into her seat. She crossed her arms, hugging herself, and side-glanced him.

"So...if you don't mind me asking," Spinner started slowly, "Any special guy out there?"

Ellie flushed, though she grinned, and she shook her head. "No." She answered. "Haven't been in a relationship for a while."

He nodded along with her, but didn't say anything. As if she felt like that meant she had to continue, she kept speaking.

"I mean -- everyone has the occasional one-night-stands," she said, "But the last few boyfriends I've had have all --" She paused, looking for the right words. The last few boyfriends she'd had had all reminded her of Craig, acted just like Craig? "-- they've all been, less than satisfactory, I guess."

He nodded again, still not speaking. Ellie, embarrassed at her wording, decided to shut up though, and a silence settled over them like a blanket.

And suddenly, he was leaning towards her, one of his hands reaching up. She hesitantly leaned for him, pausing unsurely, and when his lips were inches from hers, she closed her eyes. One of his hands found her cheek, cupping her face in a surprisingly gentle touch, and when their mouths met, the twisted knot in her stomach exploded into a mass of butterflies.

He kept his hand on her face, as if afraid she'd pull away, and as they kissed, she found herself leaning more into it. As much as his kissing stirred the butterflies, it also calmed them. She felt as if she _needed_ this, with every fiber in her being. She was unsure of whether or not it was the little bit of alcohol in her, but she didn't care.

She'd easily fallen for Spinner Mason in one night.

They pulled away after a minute or two, both of them breathing shallowly through flared nostrils, and he studied her, staring into her eyes like he was waiting for an answer.

She swallowed hard. "Do...do you want to go to the bedroom?" She asked.

"Are you sure?" He asked, dark eyes shining with a lust that excited her.

She nodded quickly. "Yes."

Leaving their coffees to grow cold on the small table, they both got up, and wrapped in each other's arms, they somehow made it down the hallway. Ellie bumped her bedroom door open with her hip, and they both managed to stumble to the bed. She kicked off her shoes, before letting herself fall backwards onto the springy mattress.

Spinner stood above her for a moment or two, just looking down at her. A half-smile was on his face, and Ellie was suddenly self-conscious again, feeling like a school girl. She couldn't help but wonder if he wanted this as much as she did.

"You're sure?" He asked again.

Instead of answering, she opened her arms to him, a gesture. He kicked his own shoes off, before climbing over her, resting his strong body atop hers as their lips sought out one another's again.

She called him Gavin that night, learning that it _was_ possible for him to grow out of the name 'Spinner'.


End file.
